PlayStation Experience Hands On — Amplitude

Amplitude

While At The PlayStation Experience I Was Able To Check Out Amplitude; A Reboot Of The Famed Harmonix Game Of Yore

We all wanted Amplitude and we all are getting Amplitude for the PS3 and PS4 thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign for the game. This is one of the first Harmonix titles I ever became addicted to and I am glad to see the legacy may be living on. In fact I was one of the lucky people who were able to take Amplitude for a spin in its current stat at the PlayStation Experience. Just in case you were not so lucky let me break it down for you on how the game as progressed up until now.

Lifelong fans of Amplitude can rest assured that the game has not changed much of the core gameplay. You still fly down music tracks firing off at notes for the song all in the effort to get a high score. Or in the case of multiplayer a higher score than everyone else. It was clear that Harmonix didn’t try to fix something that was broke. They just improved it as the PS3 and PS4 have over the previous console the title released on. Just as we should have expected.

What did stand out to me a bit more in this new Amplitude over the previous was the color scheme used now as opposed to then. In this new iteration of the game the color pallet is a bit darker and easier on the eyes. When playing the game I didn’t feel like I was going to go into a seizure from sensory overload as was the case in the past version. Don’t take this as a bad thing as it really does aid the player in keeping track of where they are and what they are doing in the game. It also fits a bit better with the story that Amplitude is trying to tell in the background as well.

Yea, that’s right. Amplitude is going to have something of a story in the mix. The short of it is that you are actually flying these ships in the brain of a coma patient trying to unlock memories, songs, and all that jazz. At least that is what I remember of what I saw of Amplitude. The irony. None the less we will have a real reason as to why we are flying around and firing at note/neurons to music that is pounding in the background. Maybe it’s something along the lines of a song that they just can’t get out of their head and we are truly helping when all is said and done.

Speaking on song, it makes me a bit sad but excited to find out that we will not be getting the same mix of songs that we have had in the past. This also includes the past Harmonix titles as well. Only a few established bands and Kickstarter backers will be adding their music into the mix and everything else will be created in-house by the studio. That means don’t expect to hear Slipknot in the mix again. From what I played of Amplitude so far though the soundtrack is rather enjoyable but some of you might find it a bit lacking. The audio guys over at Harmonix are putting their talent and love into the game but I know I was a bit let down to learn some of my favorite songs and bands would not be included into the game.

All of that said, Amplitude is delivering what we all know and hoped it would. This was an early build of the game as well so I can only imagine where it will progress too as the development continues and the team builds on an already winning platform. I did ask if there would be the possibility of adding to the music library for Amplitude, the only issue I see it having as of now, and was meant with a “nothings off the table” kind of response. I guess if fans make Amplitude as much of a success after launch as they did during the funding stage we may be able to see all the music we love and remember making a return into the mix. Here’s hoping.